The Times: Fire brigade criticised for rescuing injured seagull

A fire brigade was accused of wasting taxpayers' money after sending two engines and seven firefighters to rescue a seagull.

The brigade worked for more than an hour to save the injured gull, which was trapped on a factory roof in Bridgwater, Somerset. When the first crew was unable to reach the bird with ladders, a second with a hydraulic "cherrypicker" was called in from Taunton - 11 miles away.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said that the rescue was "good training" and that the crews would have been ready in the event of "more pressing" incidents.

But the rescue, which cost an estimated £ 800, was criticised by the TaxPayers' Alliance. Mark Wallace, its spokesman, said: "Incidents like these raise serious concerns about whether they are the best use of taxpayers' cash and the fire brigade's time. This is one fortunate seagull."

The alarm was raised after the bird was seen to be trapped under anti-gull netting. The bird, which had injured its wing, is being cared for at a wildlife centre.